Rahul Gandhi Says Waving Tricolour Is Not a Crime
In his post on X, Rahul Gandhi said that waving the Tricolour during a peaceful protest at Jantar Mantar was not a crime. He described putting young people in jail for doing so as an act of cowardice.
Gandhi further wrote that students, young people, journalists and the INDIA alliance were raising their voices on the same issue under different banners. According to him, all the protesters were demanding their constitutional rights. He asserted that Jantar Mantar belonged to the people of India and said they would reclaim it.
Waving the Tricolour at Jantar Mantar in a peaceful protest is not a crime. Jailing youth for it is an act of cowardice. Students. Youth. Journalists. The INDIA bloc. Different banners, one cause. All protests are one: citizens demanding their constitutional rights. Jantar Mantar belongs to the people of India. We will reclaim it.
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) October 14, 2026
Reacting to Gandhi's post, Abhijeet Dipke thanked the Congress leader for raising his voice against the alleged illegal arrests of Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka.
"Thank you, Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi ji, for raising your voice against the illegal arrest of Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka," Dipke wrote on X.
Why Delhi Police Arrested 14 CJP Members
Delhi Police arrested CJP leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka following an incident at Jantar Mantar on October 13, 2026. According to the police, a total of 14 party members, including Das, Ranka and Ajinkya Shinde, reached the protest site after passing through a private premises.
Thank you, LoP @RahulGandhi sir, for speaking out against the illegal arrest of @AshutoshRanka & @SauravDassss
— Abhijeet Dipke (@abhijeet_dipke) October 14, 2026
Jantar Mantar had recently been denotified from the list of designated protest sites. Police said they attempted to stop the group from proceeding, but alleged that the members obstructed officers in the discharge of their duties.
Following the incident, police took all 14 members into custody. The arrests came amid restrictions on the use of Jantar Mantar as a protest venue.
Two FIRs Registered Against the Protesters
According to Delhi Police, two separate First Information Reports (FIRs) were registered in connection with the incident on October 13, 2026.
The first FIR, numbered 289/26, was registered at Connaught Place Police Station under Sections 223(a), 332 and 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
The second FIR, numbered 128/26, was registered at Parliament Street Police Station under Sections 221, 115(2), 132, 121(1) and 3(5) of the BNS.
Police said action was taken against all 14 individuals involved in the incident.
Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka Sent to Tihar Jail
According to police, preventive action was taken against Ashutosh Ranka, Saurav Das and Ajinkya Shinde in view of alleged repeated violations of the law and the possibility of a breach of public peace.
Police also alleged that the three were attempting to encourage others to engage in similar activities through social media.
The three were produced before a Special Executive Magistrate (SEM) court on Wednesday. Proceedings were initiated under Sections 126 and 170 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).
Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were sent to Tihar Jail in judicial custody for five days. Ajinkya Shinde, meanwhile, was released after furnishing a bond of Rs 5,000. His release was subject to the condition that he maintain peace and good behaviour for six months.
Police described Das and Ranka as repeat offenders.
Delhi Police and CJP Offer Conflicting Accounts
Following the arrests, Delhi Police issued a statement explaining its version of events. The police said members of the Cockroach Janata Party had reached Jantar Mantar through private premises and that officers had attempted to stop them.
Police alleged that the protesters prevented personnel from performing their official duties, prompting their detention. It maintained that the action was taken to maintain law and order at Jantar Mantar and prevent any unlawful activities.
However, Ratna Singh, the legal head of the Cockroach Janata Party, accused Delhi Police of making false statements. She alleged that the police had falsely claimed before the court that the protesters had called other demonstrators to Jantar Mantar.
Singh rejected the police's claim, disputing its account of the circumstances surrounding the arrests.
The incident has brought the arrests of Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka into the political spotlight, with Rahul Gandhi publicly supporting the detained CJP leaders while Delhi Police maintains that its action was necessary to prevent alleged violations of the law and preserve public order.
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